“MAKING A RACE BIKE ROAD LEGAL ISN’T AS SIMPLE AS YOU MIGHT THINK”
different years, and so many handmade parts, it really wasn’t practical to adapt an off-the-shelf loom. It’s the first time I’ve made a wiring loom and I only blew one fuse when I connected the voltage regulator the wrong way around; I’d confused myself with the positive earth, as red wires just don’t seem right going to earth. I also had to pull the dip switch apart and re-wire the LED high-beam indicator as LEDs don’t work with reversed polarity. I wouldn’t have bothered but a highbeam warning light is a requirement for a Queensland safety certificate. Fitting the alternator involved making an aluminium mounting disc and three pillars which take the place of the original mounts in the inner primary case. This Norton has been running a single-row primary chain which I hope to change for a belt drive when funds permit. It’s just behind a chain guard with no oil bath to keep it cool. It may seem like a contradiction, but for racing a singlerow primary is fine, even though the engine puts out considerably more horsepower than the standard road bike. It got a spray
of chain lube every race and was replaced every season, and proved strong enough when maintained in that way. The race-spec chain guard didn’t cover the clutch or front sprocket, so for road use the original guard was modified with the addition of a cake tin over the clutch and a small saucepan over the alternator. They came from an op shop for less than $10 and a local welder did the business with his TIG to fabricate a nice looking – if slightly bulky – chain case. Although some parts were sourced online, a fair bit came from local British bike specialist BJ’s Bikes & Bits. They’ve been really helpful and have an encyclopaedic knowledge of Nortons, and offered much good advice on getting the safety certificate. Once I had that, the registration process was surprisingly simple. I rocked up at Queensland Transport where they checked the engine and frame numbers, looked at the import paperwork and bingo, I had a road bike! It’s not been without hassles. Since getting it on the road I’ve had some
ISSUE #21
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